In certain respects, Giovanni Stefano Carbonelli does not quite fit the eighteenth-century mould. For a neo-Corellian, he is unusually fond of complexity, both technical and compositional, and also unusually open to other contemporary influences, such as those of Handel and Vivaldi. But the quality of his music speaks for itself – virtuosic and joyously melodic, these six ‘chamber sonatas’ had a huge impact on Delphian producer Paul Baxter. Carbonelli’s difficulty has ensured that his work is seldom played, but early-music rising star Bojan Čičić makes sure we have no sense of that as he and his Illyria Consort colleagues champion these groundbreaking compositions with exuberant confidence. Bojan Čičić is leader of Floreligium and frequently guest directs the Academy of Ancient Music and European Union Baroque Orchestra. He founded The Illyria Consort to explore rare repertoire of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This is their first recording.

‘string playing of real vitality, rhythmic verve and dramatic engagement … here is articulation so smart you could cut your finger on it, a rich tonal range and an abundance of exuberantly improvised decorations from leader Bojan Cicic’ – The Spectator, August 2015